Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphomas

Abstract

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the first identified human virus with a proven association with the pathogenesis of cancer. To maintain the integrity of the viral genome and to "get out" of the control of the host immune system, in the phase of the latent infection EBV shows the expression of several genes, including genes for six nuclear antigens, three latent membrane proteins, two short non-coding RNAs, and BamHI-A rightward transcripts. The different patterns of expression of these latent genes determine the occurrence of different types of latency in the pathogenesis of particular malignancies. One of the most important features of EBV is its ability to infect various cell types and the consequent variety of diseases. It has been shown that in humans, EBV infection may lead to the development of cancers, including those derived from hematopoietic cells. Although cases of T-cell and epithelial cell infections have been documented, EBV is characterized mainly by tropism for B lymphocytes, and under certain conditions their infection may result in transformation to B-cell lymphoma. This article discusses the mechanisms leading to the development of EBV-dependent lymphomas, and briefly characterizes these diseases.